Classics take back seat to teen fiction in vote at Hanna

Classics take back seat to teen fiction in vote at Hanna

T.L. Hanna student Annaliza Tucker casts her vote for the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award in the school's library on Thursday.

T.L. Hanna student Melissa Vita adorns her school identification badge with a sticker showing that she voted for her favorite nominee for the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award.

ANDERSON - In English class, high school students must read stories about weathering the Dust Bowl and the shame of wearing a scarlet letter, but when they cozy up to a book at night, they reach for tales they can relate directly to.

Forbidden love ranks high.

English classes often require students to read up to four novels a year, more in honors and advanced-placement courses. But reading for pleasure often falls to the bottom of to-do lists.

The South Carolina Association of School Librarians is trying to revive a love of reading that children often discover after piecing together their first sentences. Librarians and teachers chose titles for all grade levels to read starting in August. This week, kindergartners through seniors are voting for their favorites. Educators hope the experience will stir an appreciation for the democratic process and inspire students to pick up a book for no other reason that to get lost in it. Winners will be announced at the state conference in March.

Elementary schools draw the largest voting crowds, said Helen Bailey-Duncan, librarian at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson.

"They have just tons and tons of kids to do it and as you get to middle school you have fewer and by the time you get here it dwindles," she said.

Students at T.L. Hanna chose from 20 books for the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award on Thursday. They had time set aside to read the books during English classes.

Lauren McElhannon, a junior, found the time to read "The Sky is Everywhere" by Jandy Nelson, a tale of complicated love between two teens.

She said she related to the story because the protagonist is a 17-year-old girl, like her.

She favors nonfiction and follows the "Pretty Little Liars" series, when she carves out a moment to indulge.

"You're up late doing homework so you read just before you go to sleep, and you're so tired you don't read much of it," Lauren said.

The Anderson County Election Commission took two touch-screen voting machines to the library where students tapped next to their favorite titles. Voters got a pack of cookies, a piece of chocolate candy and an "I voted" sticker.

"They're actually really surprised at how simple we make the process," said Laura Gambrell, voter services supervisor for Anderson County. "A lot of them say, 'Is that it?' "

Another upside to the voting is that children will go home and tell their parents they voted and inspire them to register if they are not, Gambrell added.

Daniel Hedden, a junior, read four books from the list, but "Something Like Hope" was his favorite. The novel depicts a woman who overcomes a childhood without a mother, troubled by drug addiction and anger.

The avid reader failed to connect to "The Joy Luck Club," a generational saga about a Chinese-American family. The novel was required reading last year.

"Most people can relate to these whereas you have to read 'Macbeth,' and you can't really get into it," he said.